This invention relates to footwear, specifically to an improved fit system applicable to sandalized footwear. The history of such footwear can be traced in prior art patents which are listed in the information disclosure statement provided with this application.
These patents reveal that sandalized footwear has historically served more as foot adornment than as secure-fitting footwear. Until the late 1980's, some of the rare exceptions were very orthopedic and encumbered with multiple buckle closures which offered only incremental fit adjustments to the nearest one-third inch.
Significant progress was made in sandal fit in the 1980's, utilizing continuous straps that passed through the sole and featured singular hook and loop closures. Unfortunately, these constructions allowed some dislocation of the foot under conditions of challenging terrain, particularly in walking in extreme uphill conditions, and lacked easy adaptability to use with socks, as is occasionally appropriate to the intended wearer in certain kinds of terrain and under some weather conditions.
The 1990's have seen an abundance of rugged outdoor sandals, featuring various upper configurations in combination with multiple hook and loop closures. Although multiple hook and loop closures offer adjustability, resistance to forward slippage and general wearer comfort are limited with these closures.
Accordingly, there exists a need for comfortable, continuously adjustable footwear, and particularly a sandal, with an improved fit dynamic, which provides substantial resistance to both forward and rearward foot slippage, which can be worn with socks, and whose upper consistently tracks flatly on all contours of the foot.